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| 10 Unusual Things You Probably Don't Know About Banana and Banana Splits |
by Michael Turback"I might never find a lesson in why Burger and I split,but, at least for the moment, there was a Banana Split." -- Carrie Bradshaw,"Sex and The City" 1. In 1936, the first ski resort in the United States, Sun Valley, used a chairlift that was based on a hoist for hauling bananas into a ship's hold. 2. Advice columnist Ann Landers advised headache sufferers to apply the inside of one half of a banana peel to the forehead and the other half to the back of the neck. She noted that 85% of those who tried this cure found relief within 30 minutes. 3. Bananas are properly peeled from the non-stem end. This leaves most of the "strings" attached to the skin, obviating the need to remove them separately, and this method allows the stem end to be used as a handle. 4. In 1930, Sherman Kelly of Toledo, Ohio, set out to invent the world's best ice cream scoop. The result was the Zeroll, a non-mechanical, one-handed scoop - the work-and-time saver for every soda jerk who has ever struggled with rock-hard ice cream. Recognizing the beauty and utility of the Zeroll design, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City even put the scoop on display. 5. Before she became a showgirl, comedienne Lucille Ball worked at her hometown Walgreen's store as a soda jerky; she claimed she was fired by the manager when she forgot to put the banana in a Banana Split. 6. The Seaside city of Nha Trang, Vietnam, of all places, has two Banana Split Cafes. even more interesting, they are located sideby side, yet have different owners. 7. In January 1998, Las Vegas stripper Hayley Huntington almost choked to death on a ripe banana (use your imagination). 8. You can visit the Banana Museum in Altadena, California and view 17,000 banana shaped, banana-flavored, and banana-themed artifacts. 9. If you watch a long-distance footrace, you'll see runners gobbling bananas before, during and after the event. The banana provides portable, easy-to-eat, long-lasting energy, and it's not uncommon for a competitor in the Ironman Triatholon to consume as many as 20 bananas during the race. 10. The longest name for a banana split: The Bing-Bong-Bang-Bambididly-Boom-Banana Split (Moosehead Canadian Bar, Moscow, Russia). RECIPES Sample Banana Split Recipes From The Banana Split Book Walgreen's Original Banana Split Split 1 banana lengthwise and place the halves parallel on a Banana Split dish. Place 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream between the banana halves. To the left of the vanilla place 1 scoop of chocolate ice cream, and to the right, one scoop of strawberry ice cream. Ladle 2 ounces of crushed pineapple over the vanilla, 2 ounces of chocolate syrupover the chocolate and 2 ounces of strawberry topping over the strawberry ice cream. Garnish with whipped cream. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and shavings of chocolate bark. Place 3 stemmed cherries at the top, and arrange 2 Nabisco wafers at either end. Serve with a long-handled spoon. Asgew Grilled Banana Split The Asgew Grill, San Francisco, California Split 1 unpeeled banana lengthwise and grill both sides. After removing the peel, place the grilled banana halves parallel on a Banana Split dish. Place 1 scoop each of vanilla, caramel, and mocha ice cream between the banana halves. Ladle 2 ounces of chocolate syrup and 2 ounces of hot caramel over all. Garnish with whipped cream, and sprinkle with caramelized almonds (almonds and sugar sauteed in butter). Go Hog Wild Banana Split Barbeque Center, Lexington, North carolina Split 1 banana lengthwise and place the halves parallel on a Banana Split dish. Place 1 scoop each of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream between the banana halves. Ladle 2 ounces of chocolate syrup and 2 ounces of maple syrup with crushed walnuts over all. Garnish with whipped cream, and place 3 whole cherries at the top. Southwestern Banana Split Cafe Terra Cotta, Tuscan, Arizona Split 1 banana lengthwise and coat the halves with enrobing chocolate. When the chocolate shell hardens, place the banana halves parallel on a Banana Split dish. Place 2 scoops jalapeno-spiked vanilla ice cream between the banana havles. Ladle 3 ounces of hot fusge over all. Garnish with whipped cream, and sprinkle with chili-spiced pecans. Permission to reprint from The Banana Split Book: Everything There Is To Know About America's Greatest Dessert by Michael Turback. |
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About the Author: Michael Turback is considered the "top banana" of American iced cream history and folklore. He is also the author of A Month Of Sundaes (Red Rock Press, 2002). For nearly decades he opened "Turback's of Ithaca," an award-winning restaurant, cited bu Bon Appetit Magazine as "the restaurant for sampling the best of the Empire State," and named by Wine enthusiast Magazine as "pne of the 60wine-friendliest restaurants in America. Turback himself was named "Rising Star" in the hospitality industry by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine. A graduate of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, Turback has been a food writer, lecturer, wine judge and internet retailer. He lives in Ithaca, NY. |
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Create My Own Soup 
